What's The Deal With The X Games?

Why Do People Care About The X Games? We Went To Austin To Find Out

When the inaugural X Games took place in 1995, and somehow over the ensuing 20+ years, I escaped even a shred of serious exposure to the event in any capacity.

“Why the F are people so into it? How has it survived for 20+ years? Is the in-person experience so great, the mix of music and athletes so intoxicating, that it drew in all this corporate sponsorship?”

These were questions I’d asked myself for years. In the past, I made many jokes at NASCAR's expense, until I went to a race four years ago and became a convert. Were the X Games the same thing?

But as a person who has incorporated skater dress and slang (brahhhhh) into his day-to-day life for years, and having drawn immense creative inspiration from the early days of Big Brother skate videos, and the DIY ethos of skating in general, I felt like I was missing something.

A trip to Austin for my first X Games experience was a pilgrimage of sorts. I wanted to find out the true essence of the event from the people involved. So that’s what I did.

I wasn’t the only first timer in Austin for the weekend. Harley-Davidson released a new motorcycle — the XG750R — the first new flat track bike for H-D in over 40 years to help you #LiveYourLegend.

Over three days, I asked athletes and key executives one simple question: why do people care about the X Games? Here is what they told me, direct from their mouths to your eyes (ewwww), alongside images I captured to convey what I witnessed.

Tim Reed (VP, X Games)

“I’ve worked on the X Games since 1997 and I think it’s the progression of all the different aspects of it. Whether it’s the course, or the athletes, or the tricks, when you go back and look at what we were doing in 1997 and see where it is now — the ramp designs, the equipment — it’s all progressed in a really positive way. I think that’s why the audience has responded so well to it. And it’s always something that’s intended to be youthful. People like watching and being involved in youthful things. We try to keep it young and fresh and that’s what keeps it going.”

Danny Chi (Director Of Communications, ESPN/X Games)

“I feel like the reason is, that these sports are different from stick and ball sports in that there are a lot of cultural cross-sections and touchpoints. It’s all about your style, your fashion, your music. And it travels well, locally and internationally, because those things translate to any culture.”

“People literally gather from all over the world to complete for one weekend. Stuff you’ve been working on for a year will either go your way, or not. Then you have to wait another year to do it again.”

Letecia Bufoni (#1 Ranked Women’s Street Skateboarder From 2010-2013)

“All of these girls I’m competing against are friends. It’s fun to see each other, and the crowd feels that. This is the biggest event of the year for us. I get really nervous. The television coverage, the crowd — I get really nervous. Before I drop-in, my legs are shaking and I’m already tired.”

“We’re all competitive out here, but we really are rooting for each other to do the best tricks, to keep pushing the sport. We all get excited for each other, not just ourselves. Did you see Jake Ilardi and Tyson Bowerbank? Those dudes rip.”

Rob Adelberg (Moto X Freestyle, 2016 Silver Medalist)

“Going into any X Games event, someone might have the best tricks on paper, but you’ve got to execute on your own. There’s the build-up and then the execution, which is what makes this sport great. I came in and felt a little unprepared, but threw down as hard as I could and came away with the silver.”

Hagan Kearney (Snowboarding, 3x Winter X Games Competitor)

“It’s basically the epicenter for action sports. I was saying to myself the other day, it’s like the Olympics of action sports. And, it’s grown and grown because they’re always adding new sports. Everything is always evolving — skateboarding, BMX, motorcycles — that’s just the nature of these sports, whether the X Games existed or not.”

“Dude, the fact that they give us a chance like this to perform on courses that even the pros are lucky to skate — it’s just a blessing. There’s nothing like skating a brand new park, I’ll tell you that!”

Greg Lutzka (Skateboarding, 2x X Games Gold Medalist)

“The X Games isn’t going anywhere; I’ll tell you that much. I think it’s just going to get bigger and bigger. Skateboarding is always evolving and the level of difficulty is just getting higher and higher. I think it’s rad to see.”

Danny Chi (Director, Communications ESPN/X Games)

“When you see someone flying on the mega ramp — and then you can watch via the Curie module from Intel in real-time how fast they were going, what the g-forces were, what the rotations were — it amplifies the experience. And that goes back to what it’s all about: progression. We’re not playing on the same size field everywhere. The X Games always builds unique courses. And for what? To let the athletes do what they do best: display the progression of their tricks, and showcase their style.”

Gene Crouch (CMO, AMA Pro Racing)

“Flat track racing has its roots in the early 1920’s; the first AMA race was in 1924. So there’s a lot of history and heritage in the sport, it isn’t a new thing. But there’s a direct tie in between the resurgence of flat track racing and the X Games.”

Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson Flat-Track, 2016 Bronze Medalist)

Erich Schlegel/AP Images for Harley-Davidson

“There are so many different athletes from so many different types of sports — I think that’s why it’s stayed popular and continued to grow. Because there is something for everyone, whatever you like. A lot of athlete’s names and brands have been built up from having success in the X Games and it strengthens both sides. Being involved is amazing for an athlete, a team a company, a fan — everybody.”